Town Leadership
The Town Administrator’s Office
The Town Administrator
Joseph LaCivita
When a road goes unplowed or a new project rises along Beach Road, the person with the most operational control over the response is appointed, not elected. Joseph LaCivita is the Town Administrator, hired by the three elected members of the Select Board to run the town day to day, and they can let him go if they lose faith in him. He is the chief administrative officer: he appoints and supervises most department heads, shapes and presents the annual budget, and carries the town’s biggest spending requests to Town Meeting for the final vote. He is appointed by the Select Board and serves under contract. Because Tisbury hands the daily machinery to an appointed administrator, the plan to fix a problem usually crosses his desk first, then goes to the board and to Town Meeting.
| Role | Town Administrator (chief administrative officer) |
|---|---|
| Selection | Appointed by the Select Board under contract, not elected |
| Office | Town Hall, 51 Spring Street, P.O. Box 1239, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 |
| Phone | 508-696-4200 |
| Website | tisburyma.gov |
What the Town Administrator Does
- Runs the departments. Public works, fire, health, the harbor, recreation, and the rest answer to the Town Administrator, who appoints most of their leaders.
- Builds the budget. Each year the Town Administrator proposes how the town will spend its money, then defends that plan before the Select Board and Town Meeting, which holds the final vote.
- Answers to the board. The Town Administrator serves at the pleasure of the elected Select Board and carries out the policies it sets.
- Reports to Town Meeting. Major spending and bylaws still need the vote of Town Meeting, and in Tisbury that means every registered voter who walks in.
The Administration
- Department heads are appointed by the Town Administrator and carry out policy, from plowing snow to inspecting restaurants.
- The Select Board is the check: it hires and can dismiss the Town Administrator, sets policy, and signs the warrants that put questions before Town Meeting.
- Boards and commissions, many of them appointed by the Select Board, decide questions like zoning, conservation, and licensing.
Contact & Engage
- Town Hall: 51 Spring Street, P.O. Box 1239, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.
- Town Administrator’s Office: 508-696-4200.
- Report a problem: potholes, broken lights, and missed pickups go to the Department of Public Works.
- Show up: the Select Board meets most Tuesday afternoons at Town Hall, and the public is welcome.
Want to weigh in on a town decision? Learn how to contact your officials so they actually hear you.